Flexible plastic handle with integral plug for attachment to metal cans



J. S. SONG April 26, 1966 FLEXIBLE PLASTIC HANDLE WITH INTEGRAL PLUG FOR ATTACHMENT TO METAL CANS Filed Nov 15 1963 United States Patent 3,248,002 FLEXIBLE PLASTIC HANDLE WITH INTEGRAL PLUG FOR ATTACHMENT T0 METAL CANS Kuhn S. Song, Addison, Ill., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York,N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 323,967

Claims. (Cl. 22094) 7 This invention relates to a novel flexible plastic handle having an integral plug for attaching the handle to an end panel of a metallic can, and in particular, to a' novel peripheral groove formed in a -peripheral skirt portion of the plug for locking and sealing the plug in an opening formed in the end panel of the metallic can.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel integral handle and attachment plug of the type including a plug body having an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt, the skirt including a peripheral locking portion having first and second exterior peripheral wall portions defining a peripheral locking groove, at least one of the wall portions being angularly related with respect to the axis of the plug body and being adapted for mating contact with a similarly angularly directed flange of a can body end panel, the other of the wall portions being substantially normal to the can body axis as well as to the plug body -axis for contacting and sealing a peripheral edge of a'flange defining an opening in the can body end panel, and a handle normally positioned above and in a plane parallel to an end panel of a container body with which the attachment plug is associated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel integral handle and attachment plug of the type immediately above described, and in addition, to provide the handle with a hand grip portion having a connecting portion joined to each of a pair of diametrically opposed radially outwardly directed portions of the end wall whereby the handle is readily hinged by the connecting portions from a first position inwhich the handle grip portion is substantially coplanar with the end wall to a second position in which the handle grip portion is in a plane substantially normal to the end wall.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel in the opening, the attachment plug including a body hav- 7 ing a peripheral skirt, a peripheral groove defined by the first and second exterior peripheral wall portions of the skirt, the first wall portion being radially inclined and downwardly directed for reception of the flange, and the second peripheral wall being in contact With the peripheral edge of the flange whereby accidental or inadvertant removal of the plug from the opening by an axial force is precluded and an increase in the contact bet-ween the. second peripheral wall and the peripheral edge of the flange is effected to insure an effective seal therebetween. A further object of this invention is to provide a novel container and integral handle attachment plug of the type just described in which the plug includes a handle integrally joined to an end wall of the plug at diametrically opposed portions thereof which are relatively thinner than the handle to provide pivoting of the handle from a first position substantially adjacent and parallel to an end panel of the container to a second position in which the handle is in a plane substantially normal to this end panel.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a novel integral handle and attachment plug constructed in accordance with this invention, and illustrates the handle secured to an end panel of the container by the at-,

tachment plug with the handle in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the end panel.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top perspective view of the handle and attachment plug of FIGURE 1, and illustrates the handle occupying a plane substantially normal to the plane of the end wall of the container.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the integral handle and attachment plug of FIGURES 1 and 2, and more clearly illustrates the construction of the integral handle and attachment plug.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary reduced sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, and illustrates a peripheral locking and sealing groove in a skirt of the attachment plug receiving a radially inwardly and downwardly directed flange formed in the end panel of the container.

An integral handle and attachment plug of this invention is best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawing, to which attention is now directed, and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The integral handle and attachment plug 10 is preferably constructed from flexible plastic material, such as polyethylene, and includes a gripping handle 11 and an attachment plug 12.

The attachment plug 12 comprises a generally circular end wall 13 and a depending peripheral skirt 14. The end wall 13 has a central flat top surface 15 and diametrically opposed upwardly inclined surfaces 16 and 17.

The depending peripheral skirt 14 of the plug or plug body 12 includes a medial peripheral locking portion 18 and a lower peripheral entrance portion 20.

The peripheral locking or sealing portion 18 is provided with a peripheral locking and sealing groove 21 set off by a first exterior peripheral wall or surface portion 22 and a second exterior peripheral wall or surface portion 23 of the skirt 14. The first wall portion 22 is radially inwardly and downwardly inclined or tapered 'with respect to the axis of the plug 12 while the second wall portion 26 is radially inwardly directed at an angle which is substantially normal to the axis of the plug 12.

The peripheral entrance portion 20 of the plug 12 also includes a radially inwardly and downwardly inclined wall portion or surface 24 between the second peripheral wall portion '23 and a terminal edge or surface 25 of the skirt 14. The peripheral surface 24 of the peripheral entrance portion 20 is more steeply inclined with respect to the horizontal than the first peripheral wall portion 22, as is readily apparent by a comparison of these wall portions in FIGURE '4 of the drawing.

The plug 12 has a cylindrical cavity 26 opening downwardlyand outwardly as viewed in FIGURE 4 of the drawing. The cavity 26 is set off by a lower internal circumferential wall or surface 27 joined to an inner upper The handle 11 includes a hand grip portion 32 which is substantially of an inverted T-shaped transverse cross sectional configuration, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing. The hand grip portion 32 includes an of the fill outwardly of the container 45.

35 whichis. substantially coplanar. to the endwall 13 of the plug 12.

A pair of substantially parallel spaced connecting portions 36 and 37 are joined to opposite ends of the hand grip portion 32 at an angle of approximately 90. The connecting portions 36 and 37 are essentially continuationsof the horizontal flange 35 of the handle grip portion 32, and are of a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the horizontal flange 35.

The connecting portions 36 and 37 each include an identical top surface 38 and a bottom or lower surface 40 (FIGURE 4). The bottom surface 40 of each of the connecting portions 36 and 37 is downwardly inclined at identical terminal portions 41 of the connecting portions 36 and 37.

The terminal portions 41 of the correcting portions 36 and 37 are joined to an associated one of a pair of identicontainers, such as the container 45 to be stored and stacked with relatively little interference between the handle of one container and adjacent containers.

When the container 45 is to be carried the handle grip portion 32 of the integral handle 11 is grasped and lifted. The relatively flexible material from which the handle is constructed and the relatively thinner construction of the 7 connecting portions 36, 37 as compared to the supporting portions 42, 43, permit the handle 11 to be readily hinged or pivoted from the position illustrated in FIGURE 1 to the position shown in FIGURE 2, in which the handle 11 V is disposed in a plane substantially normal to the end panel 44 and parallel to the axis of the container 45 and the attachment plug 12. This hinging orpivoting of the integral handle 11 occurs in the connecting portions 36 and 37 and relatively little deflection occurs in the thickerred supporting portions 42 and 43. This construction cal radially outwardly directed diametrically disposed supporting portions 42 and 43. The supporting portions 42 and 43 are joined to the plug 12 adjacent the inclinedsurfaces 16 and 17 respectively, and each of the supporting portions 42 and 43 is substantially thicker than the connecting portions 36 and 37, as is best illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 2 of the drawing.

The integral handle and attachment plug 10 is secured to an end panel 44 of a container or can 45 which is of a generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration, and which includes the conventional pouring spout 46 and cap 47 positioned at one corner of the end panel 44.

As is best illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, theend panel 44 of the container 45 is provided with a cen-. tral opening (unnumbered) defined by a peripheral edge 48 of a radially inwardly and downwardly inclined or tapered flange 50. The flange 50 is inclined at an angle which is substantially identical to the inclination of the first peripheral surface 22 partially defining the locking or sealing groove 21 of the attachment plug 12.

The integral handle and attachment plug 10 is secured to the end panel 44 of the container 45 by first filling the container 45 with a suitable fill, which may be either solid or liquid, through the opening defined by the peripheral edge 48 of the flange 50. At this time, of course, the attachment plug 12 is not seated in-the opening (unnumbered) in the end panel 44 of the container 45.

After the container 45 has been filled, the attachment plug 12 is axially aligned with the opening in the end panel 44 and is then urged downwardly into this opening against the resistance offered by the flange 59 of the end panel 44. This insertion of the attachment plug 12 into the opening of the end panel 44 is accomplished byan automatic apparatus which forms no part of this invention, and a complete description thereof istherefore deemed unnecessary. During the insertion of the attachment plug 12 into the opening of the end panel 44,-the terminal edge of the peripheral skirt 14 first contacts the flange 50. The flange 50 urges the terminal edge. 25 radially inwardly as the inclined surface 24 of the peripheral entrance portion 20 bears against the peripheral edge 48 of the flange 50. When the attachment plug 12 is inserted further in the opening of the end panel 44,the entrance portion 20 rebounds and the flange 50 seats itself in the peripheral locking and sealing groove 21 as is illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing. At this point, the inclined peripheral wall 22 of the groove 21 is in sealing contact with the upper inclined surface (unnumbered) of the flange 50, while the peripheral edge 48 of the flange 50 is forcibly urged into sealing contact with the wall 23 of the groove 21. In this manner, both of the walls 22 and 23 of the locking groove 21 provide an effective seal against leakage It should also be noted, that the integral handle 11 is in a plane substantially coplanar with the end wall 13 of the attachment plug 12 and parallel to the plane of the end panel 44. This position of the handle 11 permits a plurality of prevents the connecting portions 36 and 37 from folding I inwardly under the weight of the fill in the container 45 when the same is being carried.

At the same time the handle 11 is lifted, the attachment plug 12 is of course also lifted and the peripheral wall 'or surface portion 23 of the locking groove 21 is urged into more intimate contact with the peripheral edge 48 of the flange 50 due to the weight of the fill in the container 45. This creates an even more efficient seal than the seal which is present prior to the lifting of the container 45. That is, a tighter seal is effected as the handle-11 is pulled or lifted upwardly to urge .the peripheral wall portion 23 into increased intimate contact with the peripheral edge 48 of the flange 50. Thus, the integral handle and attachment plug 10 effectively resist the natural tendency of the plug 12 to be withdrawn from the opening in the end panel 44 and at the same time intensifies the sealing action between the flange 50 and the groove 21.

While novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out'the desired end, attention is directed to the fact that variations may be made in the example apparatus disclosed herein, as well as the method disclosed, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

' I claim: 1

1. An integral handle and attachmentplug constructed from flexible plastic material comprising a plug body, said plug body having a circular inner end wall, a flat top surface joining a pair of diametrically opposed upwardly inclined surfaces, and a depending peripheral skirt, said peripheral skirt having a medial peripheral locking portion, a lowermost peripheral entrance portion. and a terminal surface, said peripheral locking portion having first and second exterior peripheral wall portions. said first and'second wall portions defining a peripheral locking groove, said first wall portion being radially. in

wardly and downwardly tapered,said second wall portion being radially inwardly directed substantially normal to the body axis, said peripheral entrance .portion being said body at diametrically opposed portions of said circular end wall and saidflat portion surface, said handle formed of a first and a second rigid supporting portion extending from said pair of upwardly inclined surfaces, one supporting portion per surface and in substantially the same plane as said flat top surface, relatively thin connecting portions in substantially the same plane as said flat top surface and joined to each of said rigid supporting portions, said connecting portions being substantially parallel and extending toward a hand grip portion joining an end of each of said connecting portions, said hand grip portion including a central flange and integrally joined upper and lower flanges having ends smoothly' curved for small distances along each of said connecting portions, said substantially parallel connecting portions being joined at said central flange of said hand grip portion, said relatively thin connecting portions permitting said handle to be readily hinged along said connecting portion without distortion of said supporting portions from a first position in which said hand grip portion is substantially coplanar with said end wall to a second position in which said hand grip portion is in a plane substantially normal to said end wall.

2. The combination of a container end Panel and an integral handle and attachment plug comprising, an end panel, an opening in said panel, said opening being formed in a radially inwardly and downwardly directed flange terminating in a peripheral edge, and an attachment plug received in said opening, said attachment plug comprising a plug body, said plug body having a circular inner end wall, a flat top surface joining a pair of diametrically opposed upwardly inclined surfaces, and" a depending peripheral skirt, said peripheral skirt having a medial peripheral locking portion, a lowermost peripheral entrance portion, and a terminal surface, said peripheral locking portion having first and second exterior peripheral wall portions, said first and second wall portions defining a peripheral locking groove, said first wall portion being radially inwardly and downwardly tapered, said second wall portion being radially inwardly directed substantially normalto the body axis, said peripheral entrance portion being defined by a radially inwardly and downwardly directed wall portion between said second wall portion and said terminal surface, said wall portion of said peripheral entrance portion being more steeply inclined with respect to the horizontal than said first peripheral wall portion, an inner longitudinal open cavity within said plug body, said end wall defining the terminus of said cavity, said cavity being set off by a lower internal circumferential wall joined to an inner upper circumferential wall by a downwardly directed annular ridge, a handle joined to said body at diametrically opposed portions of said circular end wall and said fiat top surface, said handle formed of a first and a second rigid supporting portion extending from said pair of upwardly inclined surfaces,

one supporting portion per surface and in substantially the same plane as said flat top surface, relatively thin connecting portions in substantially the same plane as said flat top surface and joined to each of said rigid supporting portions, said connecting portions being substantially parallel and extending toward a hand grip portion joining an end of each of said connecting portions, said hand grip portion including a central flange and integrally joined upper and lower flanges having ends smoothly curved for small distances along each of said connecting portions, said substantially parallel connecting portions being joined at said central flange of said hand grip portion, said relatively thin connecting portions permitting said handle to be readily hinged along said connecting portions without distortion of said supporting portions from a first position in which said hand grip portion is substantially coplanar with said end wall to a second position in which said hand grip portion is in a plane substantially normal to said end wall, said first wall portion receiving said flange thereagainst, and sad second peripheral wall being in contact with said peripheral edge whereby forcesv tending to remove said plug from said opening increase the contact between the second peripheral wall and the peripheral edge of the flange.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,687,831 8/ 1954 Miller 22038 2,895,654 7/ 1959 Rieke. 2,935,223 5/1960 Crowley 220-91 3,000,527 9/1961 Jennings 215100 3,021,976 2/1962 Tracy 22038 3,042,271 7/ 1962 Winstead. 3, 106,311 10/ 1963 Fairchild 220 3,119,541 1/1964 Lynn. 3,159,320 12/ 1964 Scholtz. 3,160,325 12/1964 Stull 22027 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,217,771 12/1959 France.

803,154 10/1958 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

THERON E. CONDON, Examiner. 

2. THE COMBINATION OF A CONTAINER END PANEL AND AN INTEGRAL HANDLE AND ATTACHMENT PLUG COMPRISING, AN END PANEL, AN OPENING IN SAID PANEL, SAID OPENING BEING FORMED IN A RADIALLY INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE TERMINATING IN A PERIPHERAL EDGE, AND AN ATTACHMENT PLUG RECEIVED IN SAID OPENING, SAID ATTACHMENT PLUG COMPRISING A PLUG BODY, SAID PLUG BODY HAVING A CIRCULAR INNER END WALL, A FLAT TOP SURFACE JOINING A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED UPWARDLY INCLINED SURFACES, AND A DEPENDING PERIPHERAL SKIRT, SAID PERIPHERAL SKIRT HAVING A MEDIAL PERIPHERAL LOCKING PORTION, A LOWERMOST PERIPHERAL ENTRANCE PORTION, AND A TERMINAL SURFACE, SAID PERIPHERAL LOCKING PORTION HAVING FIRST AND SECOND EXTERIOR PERIPHERAL WALL PORTIONS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND WALL PORTIONS DEFINING A PERIPHERAL LOCKING GROOVE, SAID FIRST WALL PORTION BEING RADIALLY INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY TAPERED, SAID SECOND WALL PORTION BEING RADIALLY INWARDLY DIRECTED SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE BODY AXIS, SAID PERIPHERAL ENTRANCE PORTION BEING DEFINED BY A RADIALLY INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED WALL PORTION BETWEEN SAID SECON WALL PORTION AND SAID TERMINAL SURFACE, SAID WALL PORTION OF SAID PERIPHERAL ENTRANCE PORTION BEING MORE STEEPLY INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO THE HORIZONTAL THAN SAID FIRST PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION, AN INNER LONGITUDINAL OPEN CAVITY WITHIN SAID PLUG BODY, SAID END WALL DEFINING THE TERMINUS OF SAID CAVITY, SAID CAVITY BEING SET OFF BY A LOWER INTERNAL CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL JOINED TO AN INNER UPPER CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL BY A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED ANNULAR RIDGE, A HANDLE JOINED TO SAID BODY AT DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED PORTIONS OF SAID CIRCULAR END WALL AND SAID FLAT TOP SURFACE, SAID HANDLE FORMED OF A FIRST AND A SECOND RIGID SUPPORTING PORTION EXTENDING FROM SAID PAIR OF UPWARDLY INCLINED SURFACES, ONE SUPPORTING PORTION PER SURFACE AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE AS SAID FLAT TOP SURFACE, RELATIVELY THIN CONNECTING PORTIONS IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE AS SAID FLAT TOP SURFACE AND JOINED TO EACH OF SAID RIGID SUPPORTING PORTIONS, SAID CONNECTING PORTIONS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND EXTENDING TOWARD A HAND GRIP PORTION JOINING AN END OF EACH OF SAID CONNECTING PORTIONS, SAID HAND GRIP PORTION INCLUDING A CENTRAL FLANGE AND INTEGRALLY JOINED UPPER AND LOWER FLANGES HAVING ENDS SMOOTHLY CURVED FOR SMALL DISTANCES ALONG EACH OF SAID CONNECTING PORTIONS, SAID SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL CONNECTING PORTIONS BEING JOINED AT SAID CENTRAL FLANGE OF SAID HAND GRIP PORTION, SAID RELATIVELY THIN CONNECTING PORTIONS PERMITTING SAID HANDLE TO BE READILY HINGED ALONG SAID CONNECTING PORTIONS WITHOUT DISTORTION OF SAID SUPPORTING PORTIONS FROM A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH SAID HAND GRIP PORTION IS SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH SAID END WALL IS IN A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID HAND GRIP PORTION IS IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID END WALL, SAID FIRST WALL PORTION RECEIVING SAID FLANGE THEREAGAINST,AND SAID SECOND PERIPHERAL WALL BEING IN CONTACT WITH SAID PERIPHERAL EDGE WHEREBY FORCES TENDING TO REMOVE SAID PLUG FROM SAID OPENING INCREASE THE CONTACT BETWEEN THE SECOND PERIPHERAL WALL AND THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE FLANGE. 